Chapter 496

Reliving The Nightmare.

Theodore's POV.

"You should have picked another man to attack."

The shot echoed through the woods, and his body went still.

I immediately turned away and continued running after Raina, my wounded head throbbing with every step as I pushed deeper into the woods.

"Raina!"

My voice echoed between the trees as I searched desperately for any sign of her.

"Raina, can you hear me?" I said with dread as memories from six years ago flashed before my eyes.

I had called her name just like I was going now.

I was desperate to save her. I wanted to save my sister.

A few seconds later, I finally saw three figures standing near the edge of a cliff, and my entire body tensed when I recognized the woman standing among them.

Raina…

She looked even weaker than before, her body barely supporting her as one of the men held her tightly by the arm.

"Let my sister go," I demanded, my grip tightening around my weapon as I kept it trained on the man holding her.

I raised my weapon, keeping it trained on the man holding her as I slowly approached them.

The man holding Raina immediately tightened his grip and dragged her closer to the edge of the cliff.

"Drop the gun!"

I kept my weapon raised, my eyes moving between the man and Raina as I searched for a way to get her away from the edge without giving them an opportunity to hurt her.

"Let her go first," I insisted, my voice tightening as I held his gaze.

"You don't get to make demands."

The man pulled Raina another step backward, and the sight of her standing so close to the edge made every muscle in my body tense.

"One more step, and she goes over."

I forced myself to remain still, even though every instinct inside me screamed at me to move toward her.

"Don't hurt her," I pleaded, my grip trembling slightly around the gun.

The man laughed as he kept his weapon pointed at me.

"Then lower your weapon," he ordered with a smug curl of his lips.

I looked at Raina again, taking in the weakness in her posture and the way her breathing had become uneven as she struggled to remain conscious.

She raised her reddened, teary eyes to me, and my heart lurched.

I knew I couldn't risk it. I couldn't make the same mistake again.

Slowly, I lowered my gun, allowing my arm to fall toward my side while keeping my eyes fixed on the men surrounding my sister.

"That's it. Now let her go," I urged cautiously.

The moment my weapon dropped, a gunshot suddenly rang through the woods.

Pain tore through my arm as the bullet struck me, forcing me to stagger backward while I instinctively grabbed the wound.

"Fuck!"

Blood quickly soaked through my sleeve as I clenched my teeth and forced myself to remain standing.

The man who had shot me was still holding his weapon, but he had made the mistake of believing that one bullet was enough to stop me.

I raised my gun with my uninjured hand and fired before he could take another shot.

The bullet went straight into his head, and his body collapsed onto the ground.

Then Gotham stepped forward suddenly, a pocketknife in his grip as he pulled her into his hold.

His eyes immediately settled on me, but the confidence he had carried moments earlier seemed to disappear when he saw the lifeless body lying in front of him.

For the first time, I saw fear cross his face.

He held her against him before pressing a knife against her neck.

"Gotham!" I aimed my gun directly at him.

"Stay where you are," he warned, his grip tightening around Raina.

His arm tightened around Raina's waist as the blade remained pressed against her skin.

"Let her go," I pleaded, my injured arm throbbing as I struggled to keep my weapon steady.

Gotham's eyes hardened as he dragged Raina closer to the edge.

"You fucking Morannos. You could have avoided this by handing that bitch over to me," he spat, his fingers tightening around the knife.

I took a cautious step forward, but the moment Gotham saw me move, he pressed the knife more firmly against Raina's neck.

"Don't. Don't fucking dare move!"

I forced myself to stop, my gaze immediately dropping to the blade before returning to his face.

Raina's eyes met mine again, and the fear I saw there made something twist painfully inside my chest.

She looked exhausted, barely able to keep herself upright as Gotham held her against him.

"Raina, stay with me," I called, keeping my voice as steady as I could.

Gotham dragged her another step toward the edge.

"One more step, Theodore, and your sister goes over."

I tightened my grip around my gun, my wounded arm throbbing painfully as blood continued running down my sleeve.

"Don't you fucking touch her."

Gotham's lips curved into a cold smile as he pressed the knife against Raina's neck and kept his other arm locked around her waist.

"You want her alive?"

I kept my weapon trained on him, refusing to take my eyes off Raina even as every thought in my head screamed at me to find a way to reach her.

"Then drop your weapon and let me walk away."

I stared at him, my breathing becoming heavier as I tried to calculate my next move while Raina remained trapped against his chest.

Gotham glanced toward the edge of the cliff before looking back at me, his fingers tightening around the knife.

"If you don't do exactly what I say, I'll throw your sister off this cliff.”